The Portland daily press., 1887-09-13
HomiNc PIGEONS.
A Sport thatIs Becoming Popular in
the United States.
[Brooklyn Standardization

loAOoni9h pidHudlu-OulOu.l
The marvellous faculty which birds of the
pigeon tribe possess of returning to their
breeding places or the spot in which they are
accustomed TO live from incredibly long dis
tances has long been an object of comment
and utility to mankind. Noah made use of
this instinct when he sent dove from the
ark to find out whether the waters were still
covering the face of The earth. Right through
the inspired writings are illusions to the
same subject David, for example, speaks
of 1.-THE wings of dove" and that in terms
which easily show he recognized the home
seeking nature of the bird. Homer alludes
to the "air-cleaving pigeon and homeward-
eurylng WINGS, and the ancient historians
speak Of the subject repeatedly. Gibbon in
his Decline and Fall says that pigeons were
made use of by the Romans for messenger
purposes both in war and peace, and Jose.
plus confirms his statement in two remark
able passages. But itwould seem that the
attention OF nations has only been seriously
called to the question of homing pigeons, as
that particular species of the bird is named,
which has this faculty to marked degree,
within the past ten or fifteen years. The
siege OF Paris and the prominent figure
made by the carrier pigeon during that mo-
mentous event gave an impetus to the breed
ing and training OF these birds to an extent
before undreamed of. All or nearly all Gu
r0pean nations have government breeding
stations in which are 70 pc Ieunu thousands
of the birds of the choicest strains. These pi-
geons are so carefully trained and exercised
as race horse or prize-taking dog. But the
taste is not confined to the Old World. In
our own country the homing pigeon question
is in the hands of private citizens, it is true,
but the sport or taste as it may more fifty be
calico, has assumed PROPORTIONS little under
stood except to those directly interested in it.
Without exaggeratl0n 1t may be said that the
old pigeon fancier, with his array of pretty
but useless Fantails, Tumblers, Pouters,
place has sprung up the owner Of beautiful
intelligent birds, whose usefulness
is repeatedly eyinced and whose possibilities
are unquestioned. About five years ago the
mass OF private breeders began to see that
order must be evolved from amidst the chaos
of records and" and s'strains if pigeon hon.
ing was to be recognized sport. Already a
number of clubs were in existence, but each
had different rules and methods of timing
and the total results were unsatisfactory.
SO the Federation of American Fancers of
Pigeon Flying was formed by electing del
egate to the association from each club.
Then the delegates convened and at last for
mulated a set of rules and regulations by
which all matches are now flown and formu-
lated.
The association has members in almost
every State in the Union-thanks to Brook
Ign, New York State sending the strongest
contingent.
The Federation meets three times yearly
as follows: In the spring in New York, in
summer at Boston, and in the fall at Phila-
delphia. The methods employed by the Fed
Grafton to obtain reliable records are ingen-
ious: The birds intended for a given race
association on a certain day here, after an
accurate record of the birds is taken, they
are forwarded to the official liberator at the
starting point. A watcher, also chosed by
the association, is detailed to each loft to
whichthe birds belong. When the bird
reaches Zone he must enter the loft not
merely allght upon it, the time credited to
him being at the moment of so entering.
The birds are marked with indelible ink,
thus: The register number and counter
mark OF the Federation on the first flight
leather OF the wing, the race mark ON
the second or other flight feather, and-this
is method used this year for the first time
by corresponding register mark engraved
on a seemless metal band encircling the
birds leg This latter check is Ingenious
A certain number of these bands are issued
by the Federation; they are slipped over the
young pigeons leg when it is three days old,
at that stage the soft ties and claws permit
ting themselves to pass through very small
ring: then the claws grow, but the leg in
creases but little, so that at the end of ten
days it is impossible to remove the ring. A
perfect check is therefore kept on the ages
OF the birds Homing pigeons are first
nown when about three months old; first
they take short flights, say ten miles or SO.
then the distances are increased by ten or
twenty miles at each trial until the bird re-
turns in safety from 200-mile trip, when its
training is supposed to be finished. The ex-
IRENE distance now used by the BROOKLYN
clubs is about $50 miles, but this is an ex-
ceptional journey. The past and coming
matches here detailed will show the general
distances oflhights. 1t may here be noted
that the actual starting place is unknown to
anyone except the race secretary until the
day of the race. This is done to avoid any
chance of uDfairness.